FCC Keeps Cellphone Ban

Cellphones will remain banned on airplanes, thanks to an FCC bull issued Tuesday, which cited technical reasons relating to the ground-based nature of cellular networks.

It also came after complaints from travellers, who do not want others to use cellphones in close proximity to them. It seems unusual that they’d cowtow to the rule of the Hypersensitive: since when has legislated politeness been the American way?

The AP leads with the numbing, editorialized claim that there’ll be “cheering in the skies” over the decision. Isn’t it half the point that other people’s freedom is occasionally annoying? Maybe arguing over trivia like this should tell us something about the big issues.